Macon County Soccer League
Bylaws
I. GOVERNING BODY
A. Governing Authority
The governing authority of MCSL shall be vested with the Board of Directors whose powers shall be delegated in these Bylaws
B. Board of Directors
The Board of Directors shall be comprised of ten directors, each having one vote. The members are:
a. President
b. Vice President
c. Secretary/Treasurer
d. Registrar
e. Director of Coaches and Player Development
f. Director of Concessions
g. Director of Fields and Facilities
h. Director of Publicity
i. Director of Referees
j. Director of Uniforms and Equipment
C. Executive Committee
The Executive Committee of the Board of Directors shall be comprised of the President, Vice President, Secretary/Treasurer, Registrar, and the Director of Coaches and Player Development.
D. Election and Term of Officers
1. Officers shall be elected by majority vote of the general membership at the Association’s annual meeting in May and take Office on June 1 following the election.
2. All officers shall be elected for a two-year term and shall not be restricted to a single term of office.
3. Candidates for association offices may be nominated by any voting member of the Association.
4. The President, Registrar, Director of Referees, Director of Coaches and Player Development, and Director of Uniforms and Equipment shall be elected in even numbered years and shall assume office on June 1 of the year in which they are.
5. The Vice President, Secretary/Treasurer, Director of Concessions, Director of Fields and Facilities, and Director of Publicity shall be elected in odd-numbered years and shall assume office June 1 of the year in which they are elected.
6. The Board of Directors may declare vacant any office whose incumbent absents himself, without cause, from three (3) consecutive meetings and may then appoint a successor, at the next stated meeting, to fill the vacated position until the next general membership meeting when the position will be voted on by the membership. Further, if a Board member fails to adequately fulfill the obligations of his position, he may be dismissed from that position with two-thirds majority vote of the existing Board at a regularly scheduled monthly meeting.
E. Meetings of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee
1. Regular meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held monthly.
2. The Board of Directors shall hold other meetings whenever the President deems it necessary or when the President is specifically instructed to call a meeting, in writing, by three or more members of the Board of Directors.
3. At all meetings of the Board of Directors, 6 members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. At all meetings of the Executive Committee, three members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.
4. If a meeting is called for the purpose of filling a vacancy in office, the quorum shall be reduced by one-half the number of vacancies to be filled.
5. Minutes of meetings shall be reported by the Secretary, typed, and presented to the Board for approval at the next stated meeting. Each Board Member should be given a copy of the minutes.
6. Meeting of the Executive Committee shall be called by the President as needed.
F. Duties of Board of Directors and Executive Committee
The Board of Directors shall have vested the responsibility and authority to:
1. Interpret and enforce the Association’s Constitution, Bylaws, and Playing Rules.
2. Formulate and amend Rules in order to serve the best interests and objectives of the Association.
3. Reprimand, suspend, bar completely, or otherwise discipline any member, player, coach, referee, administrator, parent, or affiliated team for violations of the Association’s Constitution, Bylaws, or Rules of Play.
4. Budget for and administer the funds of the Association subject to ratification and approval of the membership.
5. Hire, supervise, and terminate employees.
6. Form standing and special committees and appoint individuals to serve on such committees.
7. Appoint individuals to fill vacancies on the Board of Directors until the next regular election.
8. Maintain the recreational program as the primary and most important function of the Association and any other programs as part of the natural progression and advancement resulting from player development.
9. The Executive Committee shall hear and decide all protests and appeals and shall decide appropriate actions for incidents of misconduct.
II. DUTIES OF DIRECTORS
A. General Duties of All Directors
1. Each director shall carry out his or her duties in a responsible manner, acting only in the best interests of the Association and its membership.
2. Each director shall be prepared to report on his or her activities and areas of responsibility at meetings of the Board of Directors and general membership.
3. Each director shall follow the Association’s financial policy regarding budget proposals, expense reports, and handling of Association moneys.
4. Each director shall be familiar with the rules of the Association, TSSA, USSF, and its division.
B. Specific Duties of Directors
1. President
a. Serves as chair of the Board of Directors and President of the Association.
b. Presides at all meetings of the Board of Directors and the annual General
Membership meetings.
c. Serves as an ex-officio non-voting member of all Association committees.
d. Appoints committee chairs and committee members as required.
e. Votes only in the case of a tie vote.
f. May coach or serve in other dual capacities within the Association.
2. Vice President
a. Serve in the President’s place when he/she is unavailable.
b. Performs other functions as requested by the President.
3. Secretary/Treasurer
a. Records, publishes, and distributes minutes of all meetings of the membership and Board of Directors.
b. Maintains lists of members in good standing and voting eligibility for meetings.
c. Maintains all permanent records of the Association.
d. Responsible for all written communications of the Association, meeting notices, communications with TSSA, and contact with other leagues.
e. Formulates the annual association budget and submits it to the Board of Directors and the general membership for approval.
f. Maintains records and receipts of all money to be deposited in a recognized bank in the name of the Association.
g. Pays all accounts by check with his or her signature and the signature of a second authorized party.
h. Submits monthly financial reports to the Board of Directors at the stated meetings and to the general membership at the annual general membership meetings.
i. Prepares any and all documents pertaining to the Association’s Charter of Incorporation and tax exempt status and arranges for an annual audit of the finances of the Association in advance of the annual general membership meeting.
j. Performs other duties as requested by the President.
4. Registrar
a. Arranges for and oversees the registration of players.
b. Maintains communications with TSSA concerning procedures for registration of players.
c. Responsible for collecting fees and player forms, submitting the data to TSSA in a timely manner, ensuring that all players are properly registered.
d. Maintains a complete list of all league members.
e. Assembles all player applications and assists the coaches and President in conducting team drafts.
f. Develops team playing schedules following the team drafts.
g. Supervises the preparation of team packets prior to the coaches meeting immediately prior to the beginning of each season.
h. Performs other functions as requested by the President.
5. Director of Coaches and Player Development
a. Responsible for all activities in regard to training coaches, players, and hosting camps and clinics for the Association.
b. Maintains a roster of available coaches and procures qualified coaches for all teams prior to the team drafts based on the number of players in each age bracket.
c. Responsible for supervising and evaluating Association coaches.
d. Arranges for periodic training and certification of coaches.
e. Represents the interests of the Association’s coaches on the Board of Directors.
f. Performs other functions as requested by the President.
6. Director of Referees
a. Responsible for recruiting, assigning, supervising, evaluating, and paying referees for the Association.
b. Responsible for arranging periodic training and assessment of referees and assistant referees.
c. Ensures that referees are properly registered annually with USSF through TSSA.
d. Represents the interests of the Association’s referees on the Board of Directors.
e. Performs other functions as requested by the President.
7. Director of Uniforms and Equipment
a. Responsible for securing and distributing approved uniforms to each team and for securing other equipment as approved by the Board of Directors.
b. Maintains proper records of bids received and the status of the bids.
c. Maintains records of all uniforms and any other items of clothing or equipment issued to the teams and all equipment in inventory.
d. Available at the last game of each season to receive equipment from the coaches and will safeguard the equipment until it is reissued.
e. By maintaining an inventory of the equipment, he/she will make known any requirements for replacement items to the Board of Directors as early as possible but no later than one month prior to the beginning of each soccer season.
f. Performs other functions as requested by the President.
8. Director of Publicity
a. Responsible for all publicity for the Association to include distributing promotional materials to all elementary, middle, and high schools in Macon County.
b. Arranges for newspaper announcements in the city and county papers.
c. Mails preseason registration forms to all previous players in the geographical area.
d. Maintains a record of the team standings during the playing season.
e. Performs other functions as requested by the President.
9. Director of Fields and Facilities.
a. Secures practice and playing fields, meeting rooms, classrooms, and other facilities as needed by the league.
b. Responsible for the maintenance of the Association’s match and practice fields and equipment.
c. Maintains lining equipment and supplies for marking fields and makes certain that match fields are properly marked before scheduled games.
d. Secures league balls and corner flags and makes these items available to the referees at least one hour in advance of the weekly games, returning to the field to secure the items at the end of the games.
e. Serves as liaison in dealing with owners of practice and playing fields.
f. Performs other functions as requested by the President.
10. Director of Concessions
a. Responsible for operating a concession stand for the Association including procurement of supplies, recruiting of volunteers, and maintaining records and receipts of all moneys collected or disbursed.
b. Responsible for depositing all moneys collected into the Association’s account and informing the Secretary/Treasurer of such deposits.
c. Submits monthly financial reports to the Board of Directors at the stated meetings and to the general membership at the annual general membership meetings.
d. Performs other functions as requested by the President.
III. STANDING COMMITTEES
A. General
1. The Association’s Board of Directors shall annually confirm the appointment of chairs and members to serve on the standing committees.
2. Specific duties and responsibilities of each committee, procedures for selecting committee members, and job descriptions for committee members shall be established by the Board of Directors and detailed in these Bylaws and the Association Rules.
3. Committee members who fail to carry out their duties in a responsible manner or whose actions are detrimental to the Association and/or its programs may be removed from their positions by the Board of Directors
B. Committee Responsibilities
Standing Committees and their general areas of responsibility shall be as follows:
1. Appeals and Discipline: The Executive Committee, with the President as chair, forms the core of this committee to hear protests and appeals and make decisions on appropriate disciplinary action for incidents of misconduct. He/she will select as
committee members, those Board members having primary responsibility over the offending party.
2. Awards: Handles the pricing, ordering, and distribution of trophies, patches, medals, or other awards to be given.
3. Budget and Finance: Chaired by the Secretary/Treasurer; responsible for preparation of the Association’s annual budget and presentation of the proposed budget to the Board of Directors at the annual May meeting.
4. Concessions: Chaired by the Director of Concessions; make decisions on what, when, and where to sell concession items. The Chairperson will designate teams to provide volunteers to work the concession stand.
5. Field Maintenance: Chaired by the Director of Fields and Facilities; responsible for maintaining the game fields, goals, and nets; must be thoroughly familiar with how to lay out a field, including the proper dimensions for each age group; responsible for
lining the fields and maintenance of the lining equipment and supplies; in the absence of support from the City, secures parental support and mows the fields at least weekly.
6. Insurance: Chaired by the Registrar; is familiar with the Association’s insurance programs and claim procedures; answers questions about the coverage; maintains a supply of claim forms and assists in filing claims with TSSA.
7. Long Range Planning: Chaired by the President; sets long range goals for the Association and formulates plans for accomplishment.
8. Membership: Chaired by the Director of Publicity; encourages individuals to affiliate with the Association; encourages local organizations to support the soccer program; maintains a good working relationship with local newspapers and radio stations, getting maximum coverage for special soccer events and player registration.
9. Rules and Regulations: Chaired by the President; annually reviews current and proposed rules of the Association and recommends changes in the Association’s Constitution, Bylaws, and Rules, including any that may be required by TSSA for any
tournaments.
10. Special Events: Chaired by the Director of Coaches and Player Development; arranges for all tournaments, skills contests, clinics, annual meetings, or other special events of the Association; responsible for submitting applications to TSSA for any tournaments.
11. Team Organization: Each coach will be expected to organize his/her team and its parents to handle various tasks related to the team itself.
Positions to fill include:
a. Assistant Coach to help the head coach in instructing the players.
b. Club linesmen to help the referees by calling out of bound (in touch) balls and keeping players and spectators at least three feet behind the touch line.
c. Telephone chairperson for contacting players.
d. Refreshment chairperson to arrange for water and other drinks for games and practices.
IV. MEMBERSHIP
A. General
The voting membership of the Association shall include individuals currently active in Association programs. Parents may vote for their active children.
B. Classes of Membership
1. Players
a. Shall include players currently registered with and participating in soccer programs under the jurisdiction of the Association.
b. Shall be open to all youth of the area ages four (4) to nineteen (19), as defined by the USYSA age groups for current season, who are interested in playing soccer as a Class A (recreational) player per TSSA definition.
c. Players shall be accorded one vote per player.
2. Officials
a. Shall include all currently active coaches, assistant coaches, team mangers, referees, and Board Members.
b. Shall be accorded one vote for affiliated person.
C. Rights of Members
1. Members in good standing are granted various rights and privileges as defined by the Board of Directors in the Association’s Rules.
2. Rights of players and officials in good standing shall include the right to vote at the Association's general membership meetings.
D. Terms of Membership
1. Term of membership shall be one seasonal year beginning on September 1 and ending August 31 of the following year.
2. Membership shall automatically renew each seasonal year provided the member is in good standing, has paid all applicable fees, and is actively participating in the programs of the Association.
V. GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS
A. Date
The Association shall hold general membership meetings annually at its regularly scheduled May and November board meetings.
B. Parliamentary Procedures
Robert’s Rules of Order, latest edition, shall be the parliamentary authority for all meetings of the Association unless otherwise agreed to by the participants by a two-thirds vote.
C. Voting Eligibility
1. Voting eligibility at general meetings of the Association is open to all affiliated players pursuant to Paragraph C2, Section IV above.
2. Each member of the Board of Directors shall be entitled to one vote, except the President, who shall cast a vote only in the case of a tie.
3. Members must be present to vote.
VI. AMENDMENTS
A. Approval of Amendments
1. Amendments to the Constitution and Bylaws must be approved by two-thirds of the voting members at a general membership meeting.
2. Members and directors may vote by written proxy.
B. Amendment Proposals
1. Proposed amendments may be submitted by any affiliated member.
2. Proposals should include the number and text of the current rule, the text of the proposed new or revised rule, and the reason for the change.
3. Proposals to revise or amend the Constitution and Bylaws shall be submitted in writing to the President at least thirty (30) days in advance of the general meeting.